After eighteen years of the frequently challenging daily task of parenting, I reached a milestone in my son’s life: He headed off to college. And he's not staying close to home. We live in Boulder, Colorado but he chose Pitzer College in Claremont, California, almost exactly 1,000 miles from home.

I lived in the dorms when I went to college many eons ago, but the increase in technology and electronics coupled with more participatory and attentive parenting has changed the dorm life experience quite a bit. College kids expect nicer housing amenities and parents demand it.

Still, dorm rooms are fundamentally small rooms where two kids who don’t know each other are stuck sharing the space and learning how to get along, even as they both figure out that college thing too.

Fortunately, Nite Ize had some great ideas for making the most out of those small dorm rooms and navigating the college experience. We pulled together a College Dorm Move-In Kit that contained lots of great products to help out with cable organization, bike safety, and recreation. Here’s a photo of my son on his dorm bed with the Kit spread out:

It wasn’t until he started trying to plug in his computer, phone charger, music speakers, voice speaker, lamp and other gadgets that he suddenly realized the great benefit of organizing all his cords. The Gear Ties worked great for that and ensured that he’d never accidentally unplug anything while sitting at the desk doing homework (or surfing the internet while not doing homework as it may be.)

We decided not to take his bicycle to campus on move-in, but it turns out that his dorm mate is a triathlete and has spare bikes, one of which he generously loaned to my son! The Radiant 125 bike lights are going to work great to keep them safe while biking around campus and the community at night, one on each of their bikes. And since they're rechargeable, there's no batteries to buy.

Of all the Nite Ize products, however, there’s no question that the one he was most excited about was the Flashflight. Being based in California means that the evenings are delightful, the students are outdoor minded, and everyone’s already good at tossing flying discs. With its light-up colors and smooth flight, Gareth’s sure to be the most popular guy on campus in no time with his Flashflight!

Move-in is done. He’s set up in his dorm room, wires organized and flashlight sitting by the bed in case of emergencies. His bike will be well illuminated and his charging cables now sport collars to make them more reliable. He’s even ready for late night outdoor recreation. Now the hard part: classes, studying and working towards his degree. I’m confident he’s going to do great!

Ben and Roxy are more than road warriors. They spend all day, every day traveling the country out of a custom van as part of the Elevation Outdoors Live Outside and Play Road Team. While taking the road less traveled, these two have developed clever ways to keep their rolling home organized, accessible, and ready to handle whatever bumps come their way.

The versatility of Gear Ties® have made these Reusable Rubber Twist Ties™ a vital part of their everyday lives. Colorful Gear Ties can be spotted throughout their van, illustrating numerous ways that Ben, Roxy, and their pup Henry have discovered solutions on the fly. From securing their refrigerator to creating impromptu storage, Ben and Roxy have a variety of ways that these everyday items have proved essential.

Whether you're traveling across the country or going for a short family road trip, check out the Live Outside and Play Road Team's favorite out-of-the-box ways to make long days in the car easier with Gear Ties.

Every four years we add one day to the books to make up for a slight difference between the orbit of the planet and the Gregorian calendar. A complete revolution of the earth around the sun takes exactly 365.2422 days but our calendar is based on 365 days so this adjustment is necessary to synchronize the four seasons. It’s always been interesting to me that we can bend the rules like this but understanding a little more about why helps to make sense of it.

2016 is a Leap Year which means we all get a bonus day! Unfortunately February 29th is a Monday so most of us have an extra day of work but maybe you have special plans to celebrate these bonus 24 hours. If you don’t have any ideas yet, here are a few to consider:

Have a birthday party - If you were born on February 29th you are a “leapling” or "leaper" and, sadly, you only have a real birthday every four years. Typically leaplings/leapers celebrate on either February 28th or March 1st but this is your year so make it count and throw a big bash. Some cultures believe those born in a Leap Year have good luck so maybe you should buy a lotto ticket.

Propose - In the United States, February 29th is often referred to as “Sadie Hawkins Day” and celebrates gender role reversal. This is certainly more commonplace in the 21st Century but Leap Years are officially known as an opportunity for a woman to propose to a man. According to some accounts, this tradition dates back to the 5th Century when St. Patrick granted women the chance to “pop” the question themselves. Others say this started in 1288 when Queen Margaret of Scotland issued a law that makes it legal for a woman to propose to a man on Leap Day. Another opinion suggests that before Leap Day was recognized by English law, this day had no legal standing and therefore it was acceptable to break convention.

Do something you’ve been putting off - We’re all guilty of procrastination and some of us are expert excuse-makers. February 29th is the bonus day we all get to tackle the things in the “I’ll do that later…” or “If I had the time I would…” category. It’s not too late to plan a trip, volunteer, organize the garage, call an old friend, finish a book, etc. The list goes on and on and this year there is no excuse not to do any one of those things or maybe even all of them. Of course if you decide to organize the garage, Nite Ize can help with Gear Tie Dockables or KnotBone Adjustable Bungees…

Our team will spend the extra day doing what we do best – innovating new and useful products just for you. No matter how you decide to make the most of this Leap Year – we hope you stay safe and healthy.

Thoughts on Innovation, the Nite Ize way.

We have over 400 innovative problem/solution based products that appeal to anyone who has ever faced a daily frustration and found that perfect product to solve their problem. Whether you are into the latest tech products, love to walk your dog, enjoy hunting & fishing, biking with your family, or just love a helpful gadget, we hope that you will find a Nite Ize product that makes your life easier, safer and more fun – night and day! We love to share stories & ideas with our friends and customers. Enjoy!